The Observer Effect?

[RayfromTX]

I'm a moderate; I mostly prefer to avoid touching, but I figure just finning over the reef we spoke some things, but then again large sea turtles, sharks & some other things do, too.

I spent much of my childhood in the country. That gave me a view of humans as part of the world, and limited interactions with wildlife as natural. I don't tend to see the natural world as some alien environment that I'm contaminating with my presence. Beyond that, animals have to be somewhat resilient to survive.

Reefs facing heavy dive pressure might be another story.

Richard.

That's the problem as I see it. It is never what I alone do. I think we are trying to figure out how much we want to contribute to a larger problem. Cozumel is hammered with divers day after day and if you just stay in one spot and see the steady stream of divers disturbing the same wildlife over and over it gives one pause. And yet that nurse shark is still there after being chased from its resting spot one more time. The bigger thing that bothers me is the evidence of damage to the sponges and coral that litters the swim throughs and other areas. It makes me always try to work on my skills and my awareness.

 

[NYCNaiad]

I'm a non toucher and non sunscreen slick producer and I try to avoid the rudel dives and dive with my buddy or very few people when possible. Or by myself when I have a chance. But even when not finning with the crowd, when arriving with a diveboat, I know I am part of the invasion. I try to behave well and do the right thing as far as I know it and hope it rubs off. But it does not of course.
There are those that wish to be respected guests, leaving as little of a trace as possible, those that just don't care (ignorance in principle is the same as just not caring), those that full well know better, but make exceptions because it's just this one time, ... and those that come to conquer. I try to be with the first group.
I am aware that it is an exercise in futility considering I arrive by airplane and boat, may be spoiled in a swimming palace or on shore...
So, it's a conflicting thing for me, but I do it and do try to enjoy it and try to do it as right as I can...

What are "rudel dives"?

Totally agreed re: sunscreen & other body products! I wear a dive skin, a hat & stay out of the sun as much as possible. Then, when I do use sunscreen (& leave-in conditioner, etc.), I use ones that are less problematic. (& I do the research to ensure that the ingredients are better ones, not just relying on the marketing saying it's coral-safe).

Also, I don't think it's futile though I totally get what you're saying & I love the "try to do it as right as I can".

 

[Schwob]

What are "rudel dives"?

Bummer, looks like some German inadvertently crept in.
Like a pack of wolves that follows the alpha wolf or a herd of sheep that follows the DM... aaahh, the shepherds whistles and his dog... (no idea what a heard leading sheep might be called)...

 

[flyboy08]

I draw the line by not eating fish and I refuse to make my wet suit out of leather.

I never touch....I dive to just float and take pictures.

 

[Joneill]

I've recently been struggling with how my diving may be negatively impacting the marine life. I'm hoping to have an intelligent discussion here about it because the majority of my friends are non-divers.

I thought I was a considerate diver & I've done a lot of cool dives, but more & more I'm wondering where I need to draw the line. For example: I had previously decided that I wouldn't...

• Dive with dolphins that weren't 100% free/wild.
• Touch marine life.
• Actively follow marine life trying to get away with me.
• Get too close to marine life and/or purposely cause them to react (e.g., puffing up pufferfish).

But how close is too close? Is too close defined as an animal moving away from me or the seconds before they do? What about animals that prefer to stay close to their fauna (e.g., a seahorse clutching to sea grass)?

What about visits to cleaning stations which until recently I thought weren't problematic if you took certain steps? (This Alert Diver article in particular rocked my world in regards to that.)

I know that just by diving I am impacting the marine life around me, but where should the line be drawn?

I'd love to hear your thoughts on what you've decided for yourself. (No judgment here. I'm just curious how other divers see this topic to hopefully help me make a more informed decision re: my own behavior.)

But then we see situations like that captured in the video below, where the wildlife seems to be enjoying and even initiating interaction with strangers (divers) in their environment. It's not so black and white...

 

[NYCNaiad]

Bummer, looks like some German inadvertently crept in.
Like a pack of wolves that follows the alpha wolf or a herd of sheep that follows the DM... aaahh, the shepherds whistles and his dog... (no idea what a heard leading sheep might be called)...

Ah, do you mean a large group of divers...like what I've seen called a cattle boat dive with large numbers of divers stuffed into a boat with no room led by a single DM? Or do you mean any DM-led dive...like a DM with 2, 3, 4 divers?

 

[Bubblesong]

... (no idea what a heard leading sheep might be called)...

Leader Sheep is called Bellwether, which is also a person who is a social leader.

 

[Schwob]

Ah, do you mean a large group of divers...like what I've seen called a cattle boat dive with large numbers of divers stuffed into a boat with no room led by a single DM? Or do you mean any DM-led dive...like a DM with 2, 3, 4 divers?

Larger groups. 2,3,4 is great, still greatly depending so on the divers actions. 4 careless people still can leave a swath of destruction. Worst I've seen was in the red sea. An invasion of a guided dpv diver group. Chasing a manta, breaking of a fan coral, whizzing and whining all over the reef wall with little regard. I was "seriously" looking for my imaginary "general dpv emote" and set it to "all channels" and "lock on downward" or such...
May have been just 5 of them, but they left an impression.

 

[TMHeimer]

I rarely touch anything, unless collecting scallops or spearing flounders to eat. And of course my major interest of shell collecting. But I don't pat myself on the back for not touching, bothering, chasing wildlife--since I really just have no interest in doing those things.
As far as going overboard, I do think that happens. It is one opinion that sea creatures deal with a whole lot more of danger and inconveniences from the ocean itself and predators--as opposed to diver annoyances. Part of the equation also is it depends on where you are. I can imagine some tropical dive sites have a gazillion divers each year, and if a lot of them mess with wildlife it could be a problem. Whereas If I decided to chase a fish around on a Nova Scotia shore dive it won't make any difference.

 

[JamesBon92007]

I imagine that our mere presence has some kind of impact on the environment. When taking photographs or videos I often use a long selfie stick which helps to keep me away from corals and sponges etc. Occasionally the current might cause me to have slight unintended contact with a reef and I try to regain my normal position as quickly and harmlessly as possible. All of this may be fine and sound very noble however I have seen sea turtles demolishing fairly large areas of a reef with no consideration for the sponges and coral while they rip apart the plants and consume large amounts of them and deliberately inflict more damage in a few minutes than I probably ever will in my lifetime. While taking videos etc. I often have critters approach me. This is their choice and I usually am very happy to get a nice, close-up, frontal shot. If I attempt to video a creature and it takes off I simply find another more willing subject. I have no idea what effect my video may have on a filefish's mating or feeding or whatever but they seem friendly and interested in me just as I am in them. What concerns me the most, at least at this time, is the effect on the reefs by the development on land adjacent to the reefs. At the Cozumel Museum they have some interesting charts and graphs etc. explaining what they think the effects will be of too much development and seem to have a very good idea of how much is too much. I would be interested in knowing if there is a direct correlation between building hotels on the beach and the demise of coral reefs. From what I saw at the museum it sounds like the consequences of a few hotels may be much greater than hundreds or even thousands of careful divers swimming around taking pictures and sightseeing.

And, just in case it isn't evident from what I just wrote, I will not support any group or business that keeps dolphins and whales captive or in any way abuses them. I am perfectly willing to visit them in their natural habitat if they choose to let me. I am also about to begin a campaign to boycott any business that sells such things a dried porcupine fish. I am currently in Puerto Vallarta and there are many small shops selling them. At least I have not seen any dried sea horses but they may simply be too hard to find any more. I can't see how anyone who has ever seen a porcupine fish in the wild could be other than repulsed by a dried, inflated fish with plastic wiggle eyes. I mean, is there anything on this planet that is cuter and friendlier-looking?